Trial delayed and Social services.
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Today my OH trial was meant to begin at crown.
Checked court list Friday and his name wasn’t on it for today. Called solicitor they were pretty basic and said you’ll get called later in the week.
Spoken to them again today and they’re saying it won’t happen this week.
Has anyone experienced this? It’s been 3.5yr since arrest and we were finally getting to feel that it was coming to an end, but now feel completely lost that we don’t know when it will be rescheduled for. Days, weeks, months or years?
SS won’t allow us off or make any changes to child protection plan until after a trial outcome where they can re access. So that’s nearly 3 years on a child protection plan (almost unheard of apparently)
Anyone have any similar experience? I can’t handle this for more weeks, months and definitely not more years.
please see my original post for whole story of NCA involvement and SS (called upcoming trial worries)
Checked court list Friday and his name wasn’t on it for today. Called solicitor they were pretty basic and said you’ll get called later in the week.
Spoken to them again today and they’re saying it won’t happen this week.
Has anyone experienced this? It’s been 3.5yr since arrest and we were finally getting to feel that it was coming to an end, but now feel completely lost that we don’t know when it will be rescheduled for. Days, weeks, months or years?
SS won’t allow us off or make any changes to child protection plan until after a trial outcome where they can re access. So that’s nearly 3 years on a child protection plan (almost unheard of apparently)
Anyone have any similar experience? I can’t handle this for more weeks, months and definitely not more years.
please see my original post for whole story of NCA involvement and SS (called upcoming trial worries)
Hi,
I'm so sorry that you're in this limbo waiting for a trial. Ss shouldn't really be waiting on the court outcome before allowing you off the cpp. As your husband is pleading not guilty then they should be looking at doing an independent risk assessment. A trial won't tell them if he poses a risk or not, it won't even tell them if he has committed a crime really. I'd pushback, perhaps with a complaint as they should have clear action points to be completed by the next cp conference xxx
I'm so sorry that you're in this limbo waiting for a trial. Ss shouldn't really be waiting on the court outcome before allowing you off the cpp. As your husband is pleading not guilty then they should be looking at doing an independent risk assessment. A trial won't tell them if he poses a risk or not, it won't even tell them if he has committed a crime really. I'd pushback, perhaps with a complaint as they should have clear action points to be completed by the next cp conference xxx
Thank you so much for your reply.
This has given me a shred of hope as we have our next conference this Friday.
would you address about the independent risk assessment prior to the conference for a heads up or go into the conference with this as our fuel for change?
They've always mentioned the risk assessment but said it wouldn't happen until after trial.
They always seem to have an answer for everything when we suggest things. So what would you say would be a good reason for asking for the independent risk assessment now?
we have been so patient thinking that the risk assessment just couldn't be done until after trial. I'm so glad I've asked this here.
Even our social worker has said she's never known a child protection plan to last this long.
thanks you so much.
This has given me a shred of hope as we have our next conference this Friday.
would you address about the independent risk assessment prior to the conference for a heads up or go into the conference with this as our fuel for change?
They've always mentioned the risk assessment but said it wouldn't happen until after trial.
They always seem to have an answer for everything when we suggest things. So what would you say would be a good reason for asking for the independent risk assessment now?
we have been so patient thinking that the risk assessment just couldn't be done until after trial. I'm so glad I've asked this here.
Even our social worker has said she's never known a child protection plan to last this long.
thanks you so much.
I would advise looking up the children's services page on your local authority website. Once you have the criteria for child protection plan you can ask where your children fit this criteria. At each conference do you have actions that must be taken prior to the next conference both by professionals and yourselves? You can give your goals as a family that you're hoping to achieve and then ask them what needs to change for these goals to happen.
I'm happy for you to private message if you'd like guidance on how to look it up or how to word things with ss. As a brief overview without knowing what your local authority criteria is I would probably say something along the following;
The children are currently supervised by family members xyz for their contact each week. They see health visitor (insert frequency), they are thriving and cared for, attend nursery (if applicable). What concerns do you have about their safety that warrants being kept on cpp for so long?
Ask them what their plan is for after the trial for either verdict, what support will be offered if he is found guilty especially if he receives a custodial. What happens if he is found not guilty? How will they support your family in reuniting? If they have answers then ensure it is recorded on the minutes of the conference and request all conference minutes if you don't have them via email since the start of the plan. Often they tend to say if someone is found not guilty or receive nfa it doesn't mean that they didn't do it and the risk still exists. If this is the answer for a not guilty verdict then you can absolutely challenge what the point of waiting until the court outcome before proceeding with any risk assessments they want doing. Have you had a capability to protect assessment? An independent one? xxx
I'm happy for you to private message if you'd like guidance on how to look it up or how to word things with ss. As a brief overview without knowing what your local authority criteria is I would probably say something along the following;
The children are currently supervised by family members xyz for their contact each week. They see health visitor (insert frequency), they are thriving and cared for, attend nursery (if applicable). What concerns do you have about their safety that warrants being kept on cpp for so long?
Ask them what their plan is for after the trial for either verdict, what support will be offered if he is found guilty especially if he receives a custodial. What happens if he is found not guilty? How will they support your family in reuniting? If they have answers then ensure it is recorded on the minutes of the conference and request all conference minutes if you don't have them via email since the start of the plan. Often they tend to say if someone is found not guilty or receive nfa it doesn't mean that they didn't do it and the risk still exists. If this is the answer for a not guilty verdict then you can absolutely challenge what the point of waiting until the court outcome before proceeding with any risk assessments they want doing. Have you had a capability to protect assessment? An independent one? xxx
Trials been delayed until November 2025!
I'm beyond gutted it's unbelievable.
Praying solicitor can do something to get this thrown out of court. By the time we get there it will have been 5 frigging years! :(
We need serious help. Do we try taking SS to family court? Or do they just always win?
we need changes to be made to CPP plan and they just don't understand.
Very upset Mummy and wife! :(
I'm beyond gutted it's unbelievable.
Praying solicitor can do something to get this thrown out of court. By the time we get there it will have been 5 frigging years! :(
We need serious help. Do we try taking SS to family court? Or do they just always win?
we need changes to be made to CPP plan and they just don't understand.
Very upset Mummy and wife! :(
I've private messaged you. I found something that suggests you should have details of how to complain about the plan within your reports from each conference.
There definitely need to be changes made to the plan, denying all of you the right to a family life for so long is inhumane. The emotional impact this will have on your children is something that should be put forward at your next conference. Your husband has not been found guilty of anything and has had the opportunity of being a father in the fullest taken from him for all this time already.
Sending you so much love and strength through this difficult time xxx
There definitely need to be changes made to the plan, denying all of you the right to a family life for so long is inhumane. The emotional impact this will have on your children is something that should be put forward at your next conference. Your husband has not been found guilty of anything and has had the opportunity of being a father in the fullest taken from him for all this time already.
Sending you so much love and strength through this difficult time xxx